Tree Planting at Mater Carmeli School, Novaliches!

March 31 marked the Pre-Elem Parent-Teachers’ Association last major activity for this school year 2010-2011. It was a tree planting activity for the kids in the Pre-Elementary Department. Dengue cases have continued to rise in the country and many parents like me and my wife Odette were understandably concerned about this persistent health danger.

As a response to this menacing health threat, officers of the PTA and the school administration agreed to have this tree planting activity along with the children of known mosquito repelling plants at the pre-school grounds.

Actually, the plants chosen were not really “trees”. One is a shrub called Malvarosa and the other a bush called Lemongrass.

Malvarosa (Scientific name: Pelargonium graveolens)

A small branching hairy shrub, Malvarosa plants are also known by its other name, Rose geranium (English) most probably due to their fragrantly rose-scented leaves.

Cultivated primarily for its aromatic, medicinal and ornamental uses, its flowers and leaves are considered edible, the latter used as condiment, tea or used as flavoring in deserts, jellies and even vinegar. A remedy for cough and stomach aches, it is also used to stop bleeding, wound healing and for its antibacterial properties.

Lemongrass (Scientific name: Cymbopogon citratus)

Native to the Philippines, Lemongrass (‘tanglad’ in Tagalog) is a bush or may be described as a tall perennial grass. A related species, citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) is similar to lemongrass but grows to 2 meters and has red base stems. Like Malvarosa plants, lemongrass is also used as an insect repellent and air freshener. Similarly, lemongrass plants have multiple uses in the kitchen. It is served as tea or included in fish soups and is often used as an ingredient in preparing Thai curry paste.

My wife Odette and Teacher Rosel Jimenez distribute the plants to the Prep students

The students including my daughter Faith start to transfer the plants to garden pots

Teacher Marilyn Luteria (Faith’s classroom adviser wearing a red orange shirt) help the kids replant

Placing garden soil on the replanted Malvarosa

Fragrantly scented mosquito repellents are now in place

Faith carefully waters the Malvarosa shrub

After the planting activity, Faith and the other students go back to the classroom

for graduation ceremonies practice

View of the blue sky and trees while lying on the Pre-Elem playground slide

All’s well and ends well.

The kinder students will have their own tree planting activity in the afternoon. Hopefully all the plants will be well maintained by the students, teachers and non-teaching staff so that the benefits of having these plants will go beyond this batch of pre-elementary students. It is hoped that these activities will also spur the participation of the elementary and high school departments so that everybody can contribute in the fight against dengue, making Mater Carmeli School-Novaliches a better and safer place to learn and grow in, during those early formative years.